Growing Beets

Growing beets produces a vegetable that is a root crop with a sweet taste. They are usually red and are considered a cold weather plant. They will grow as long as the ground does not freeze over or become hard.

The beets are usually ready in about 59 days depending on heat, sun and water. They can be kept for months in a cool place. The beet is red but to me it seems to be more purple than red especially when cooking them.

They can cooked and eater, or skinned and eaten raw, or not skinned depending on what you taste buds like.

I like growing beets. One warning. When eating the home grow beets, your poop is going to look red. You many even think you have a medical problem.

I once ate a lot of beets and went to work the next morning. When I went to the bathroom I noticed my stool was a bright red so I thought something was wrong so I went home.

On the way home it dawned upon me what the problem might be so I did not eat any beets that day and the next day everything was fine. Of course, I did enjoy the sick day off from work.

Sow the seeds directly into soil that has a pH between 6.0 to 6.8. I have tried growing beets inside and then transplant them, but they did not do well.

They can be anywhere from 2 inches to 6 inches in diameter. When planting, plant two seeds side by side every two inches apart. Then thin as necessary to accommodate the size of beet you are growing.

If you are growing a 4" vegetable then thin so there is eight inches between each plant. They can be sown closely together. You can plant them every 8" on each side for a bountiful crop.

Start your rows ever two weeks. This will allow you to harvest over a longer period of time.

This vegetable performs better in the cool weather. In hot areas they need to be planted in early spring or even late winter in South Texas, and fall to produce a winter crop.

When they are 1 to 2 inches high, thin them. I hate to thin because it is time consuming and I hate the thought that I am killing a plant. Actually, by thinning I am giving life to the remaining plants.

Now, some say you can eat the thinnings. I usually just throw them back on the garden to decay (green manure) and re-supply nutrients. Also, if you wish to eat the greens of the plants, then let the ones that need to be thinned, grow to about six to eight inches.

Growing beets need to be kept well watered. The soil surface should be moist but not constantly wet. If not kept moist, then plants will go to seed and the roots will be deformed.

Once the plants are growing, lay down mulch around the plant to help control weeds and moisture. If you have not done so, add worms to your garden to help keep the ground soft for growing.

Beets produce wind pollen and will cross pollinate with different varieties in their species. Keep this in mind if you plant on planting more than one kind.

You will want to keep your eye out for any problems they may have. If it looks like your beets are having a problem with growth or a disease, then go to the internet and see what you can find out about the problem. For the most part, I have never had any problems other than bugs.

Sometimes the top of the plant may poke up out of the ground. cover this with dirt to keep it from turning hard and green.

Pick you plant when the roots are 2" round or the size your instructions call for. During the fall or in cool climates, you can store your beets in the ground by giving them a thick carpet of mulch--from 4-6 inches deep.

Cook your beets or eat them raw, they are good either way.

You may also want to try to eat the tops of the beets for greens. I have never done this, but we will try them this year and see how they come out.

If you do not want to eat the tops, throw them on the yard and run over them with the mulching lawnmower or chop them up some and put them back into the garden.

The seeds we planted in the video are the Detroit Supreme. They should be ready for harvest in about sixty days or so. I am the only one that eats them in my family so I will have plenty to eat for awhile.

These second planting is coming up now. It seems to me it has taken longer than it should, but this may be that it has not been hot enough yet.

We had few days of 80 degree weather. Then three days where it got down to 32 degrees. But the growing beets are taking off now.

I usually wait until the plants are larger, but according to Miracle Grow, I can put some Miracle Grow on these.

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